Chair



July 1, 1941. I R WQNDERLY 2,247,720

CHAIR Filed Ma 31, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

HE LhWurLdEflg.

iww ATTORNEY July 1, 1941. [R WONDERLY 2,247,720

CHAIR Filed May 51, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o if If i INVENTOR; L Rag L. Mlumzleri;v

H BY 6/ a M ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CHAIR Ray L. Wonderly, Sheridan, Wyo.

Application May 31, 1939, Serial No. 276,681

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to chairs and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved chair of such construction as to render it especially well adapted for use by feeble and otherwise disabled persons whereby such persons may readily move about from place to place and perform such duties as caring for their own personal needs without requiring the constant care of an attendant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair embodying a separable wheeled seat structure which is readily removable as a unit from the chair so that the user may move about as desired.

A further object is to provide a chair of this character which will have the general appearance of an ordinary article of furniture and may be made to match other pieces of a living room suite.

A further object resides in the novel means of releasably retaining the wheeled seat unit in place in the chair structure, together with the arrangement providing a substantial wheel base for preventing the seat from tipping.

A still further object is to provide a detachable back rest and handle for the wheeled seat which not only affords comfort to the user when the seat is separated from the chair, but also permits of the seat being wheeled about by an attendant when such is required.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a chair of the over-stuffed type constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective View showing the wheeled seat unit partially rolled out of the chair.

Figure 3 is a perspective view looking at the rear of the seat unit.

Figure 4 is a vertical section thru the chair with the seat unit latched in place.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section thru the seat unit and showing a fragmentary portion of the chair body portion.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing the lower portion of the chair body portion with the seat unit removed.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the seat unit detached and provided with the detachable back rest and handle.

Figure8 isa plan view of the back rest and handle, showing one of its arm rests extended and the other folded.

Figure 9 is an enlarged horizontal section thru the back rest and handle.

Figure 10 is a still further enlarged fragmentary detail view of the hinge arrangement for the arm rests of the handle.

Referring to the drawings in detail and Wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, the

invention has been shown embodied in a chair of the over-stuffed type, including a chair body portion A having a separable; wheeled seat unit B releasably retained in chair forming relation to the chair body portion by the latchmeans C. The letter D designates a combined back rest and handle for detachable connection with the seat unit B. j

The chair bodyportion A is adapted to rest upon a flooror other supporting-surface and comprises a back I2 provided at its lower portion witha cross member I3 having its lower edge spaced above the floor surface as shown in Figures 4 and 6. Extending forwardly in parallel spaced apart relation from the back I2 are side arms I4 having their upper-portions forming arm rests I5. Thus the back I2 and side arms I4 form a chair body portion which is open at its front side between the forward ends of the side arms I4.

The seat unit B is adapted to be removably placed between the spaced side arms I4 and when in position forms a seat for the chair. This seat unit comprises a rectangular base frame I6 including a bottom-wall I'l, side walls I8, and front and rearv walls I9 and 2!] respectively. Mounted upon the upper side of the base frame I6 is a suitable box spring cushion -2I having a shape conforming to that of the base frame I6 whereby the seat unit will fit snugly between the side arms I4. The seat unit is supported for wheeled travel by means of a pair of front castors 22 and a pair of rear castors 23. The front castors 22 are suitably secured to the bottom wall I"I adjacent the front corners of the base frame so as to be substantially flush with the front side of the seat and out of the way of a person using the seat. The rear castors however, are mounted upon suitable angle iron brackets 24 which have their vertical flanges secured to the rear wall 20 of the seat base frame and have their horizontal flanges extending rearward from the seat as clearly shown in Figure 3 whereby the rear castors are disposed rearward of the rear side of the seat. This arrangement provides for a greater wheel base between the front and rear castors and prevents the seat from tipping rearward.

As shown particularly in Figure 4, when the seat unit is rolled into the chair between the side arms I 4 until the seat abuts the cross panel or member I3, the horizontal portions of the angle brackets will pass beneath the lower edge of the panel -|3.

A sliding retractable foot rest 25. is provided on the seatunit and consists of a substantially U-shaped member formed from tubing to provide a pair of side bars 26 and a foot bar 2] which is upwardly offset from the forward ends Tubular guide sleeves 28 se-" cured to the under side of the base frame l6 pro-- vide guides in which the side bars 26 slidewhere by the foot rest may be extendedforruse as'in" Figure 7 or retracted with the foot bar 21 against sockets 56 mounted upon the rear side of the of the side bars.

the base frame as in Figures 1 and 2. Suitable stops may be provided on the'free ends of the side bars 26 to limit outward movement of the foot rest.

Referring now to the latch means C, this latch means is designed to releasably retain the seat unit in place in the chair body portion and permit ready releasing of thelatoh when desiring to roll or wheel the seat unit out of association withthe chair. The latch means C is enclosed within; the hollow base frame I6 and embodies a rock bar '29 mounted horizontally upon the inner side of the rear wall 20 of the base frame asin suitable-bearings 30. Formed on one end of the rock bar 29 is a crank arm 3| to which is pivotally connected the inner end of a sliding push rod 32 mounted upon one ofthe side walls l8 as by a bearing 33. The outer end of this push rod 32 extends slightly thru the front wall 19 of the base frame and is provided with a suitable operating knob which may be grasped for moving the push rod inwardly. A coil spring 34 actingbetween the bearing 33 and a stopon the push rod acts to normally urge the push rod outwardly. Provided on the other end of the rock bar 29 is a latch 35 which extends thru an opening in the central position of the rear frame wall 20 for latching engagement with a latch plate 36 secured to thecross panel l3. The cross panel may have a small opening 31 formed there-' in for receiving the latch 35. Upon forcing the push rod 32 inwardly against the action of the coil spring 34, the latch 35 will be swung upward out of holding engagement behind the latch plate 36 so that the seat unit may be wheeled or rolled from the chair body. 7 7

Referring now to the combined back rest and handle D, the same is intended to be detachably associated with the'seat unit B when removed from the chair body A whereby a person using the seat may be rolled or Wheeled about by an attendant. The back rest and handle D comprises a U-shapedframe member 4|!- preferably formed from tubular material to provide uprights 4| joined at their upper ends by a hand grip or rail 42; Connecting the uprights 4| at a point suitably spaced from the lower ends of the Connecting V uprights is a tubular cross bar 43. the upper portions of the uprights is a tubular braces; while connecting the uprights between the bars 43 and 44 is aspanel 45. Provided on 70 each ."of the uprights 4| is a folding arm rest 46-vvhich. may be folded flat against the frame 40 when not in use. These arm rests 46' each comprise a tubular IU-shapedframe providing arms" adapted to be pivotally connected at 75 their free ends to the uprights 4|. Welded or otherwise secured longitudinally to each upright 4| beyond the ends of the cross bar 43 is a short piece of tubing 48 forming hinge barrels for receiving hinge pins 49 serving to pivotally support the arm rests 46. Pivotally connected be tween the intermediate portions of the arms 41 as by a hinge pin 50 is a brace arm 5|, and these brace arms extend thru slots 52 provided in the cross bar43. Within the cross bar 43 the brace arms 5| are provided with T-sha'ped heads 53 which are adapted to drop into holes 54 in the cross bar, see Figure 9, for holding the arm rests in extended position in right angular relation to 1 5Y the frame 40 as shown in Figure 7. The arm rests 46- may be folded against the frame 40 by merely raising the T heads 53 out of holes 54.

' 'The. lower endsof the uprights 4| are tapered into conical shape as at 55 for fitting into conical seat un-it--Br These conical sockets 55in: the example shown have been shown securedrasaby sockets56. i I

Thus it will be seen that the seat un it B may be readily rolled out of the chair;body A by re leasing. thelatch and permit the user to travel about as desired. Since the. weight-ofathe chair body is upon the fioor'surface, the chair body will remain stationary-when the seat unit is rolled out. The seat unit may be easily associ- 35 "ated with the chair body by merely rolling: the

seat unit between the side arms until the latch 35 en-gagesthe latch plate 36'.

Changes in detail may be madeitothe form of the invention herein shown and described, *without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following'claims.

lclaim: b 1. Arriartic'le ofzfurniture'comprising. a wheel mounted seat unit,'and.a combined backrest and handle .detachably connected tothe seatunit and including folding arm-rests. 1

2. 'A chair comprising a; body portion embodyingispacedapart side arms providing arm rests,

a one person seat unit fitting between the; side arms, front and rear castors for theseat unit,

anglebracketsfor the rear castorsfor disposing the rearcastors rearwardly of the seat unit; latch means releasablyretaim'ng theseatunit inlpositionibetween said side arms sockets on said angle brackets adapted to receive therein upright .mema

bers of a combined back rest and handlewhen said latch means is released-and said seat unitis withdrawn from said body portion whereby said.

seat unitmay be converted for use as a wheel chair 3. Char esmprism a may permeate ing a back having a cross panelatits lower end 1 spaced above the floor surfaceand spaced apart side arms for resting upon a floor surface,.a seatv unit fitting between the sidearms, fro'nt casters for the seat unit, angle" brackets securedto the rear of the seat unit including horizontal flanges extending beneath the cross panel, rear castors mounted on said fianges,'a latch plate on the cross panel; a latch on the seat unit engageablewi-th the latch plate for holding the seatunit between the'sidearms, and releasingmeans for the latch.

4. 'A chair comprising a seat unit, castorssupporting the seat unit, sockets mounted upo'n the rear of the seat unit, and a back restand handle provided in its front side with slots and a hole in 10 the lower side of the bar adjacent each end thereof, a hinge barrel on each upright, an arm rest pivoted on each hinge barrel, and a brace arm for each arm rest and extending thru said slots,

said brace arms each having a T head within the 15 tubular cross bar engageable in said holes for retaining the arm rests extended for use.

6. A combined back rest and handle for mobile seats, comprising a U frame providing spaced apart uprights, a brace rod and a back panel connecting the uprights, a tubular cross bar connecting the uprights below the panel having slots in its front side and a hole in its lower side at each end of the cross bar, a U-shaped arm rest pivoted on each short tube, a brace arm pivoted at one end on each arm rest and extending thru said slots, and a T head on the other end of each brace arm and engageable in said holes for holding the arm rests extended for use.

RAY L. WONDERLY. 

